What better way to ring in the weekend with a dose a Braun Strowman?
Such was the case on Friday, April 27 when Braun Strowman emerged victorious from the Greatest Royal Rumble match, outlasting 49 other competitors in a dazzling spectacle of beefy men.
Also emerging victorious was Brock Lesnar, who surprised everyone once again with another victory over Roman Reigns. The question remains: When, if ever, will Reigns upend Lesnar to win the WWE Universal Championship?
AJ Styles also retained the WWE Championship, though his second bout with Shinsuke Nakamura didn't go to a 3-count: This one went a 10-count, as the match resulted in a double count out.
MORE: Getting a grip — Why you should be paying attention to the Greatest Royal Rumble
The Greatest Royal Rumble match delivered more of what WWE offers on these grand stages: a dazzling spectacle of epic proportions, wrought with big spots and entertaining matches.
Here's how the show shook out:
(All times Eastern.)
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 results
Braun Strowman wins the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble match
4:54 p.m. FINISH: After a short tussle, Braun Strowman eliminates Big Cass to win the Greatest Royal Rumble.
4:53 p.m.: Big Cass eliminates Daniel Bryan, and we're down to Cass and Strowman. Well.
4:52 p.m.: Lashley, Owens and Jericho eliminated by Strowman.
4:49 p.m.: Jericho eliminates Benjamin. Strowman eliminates Shane McMahon by tossing him through an announce table.
4:47 p.m.: Chris Jericho in at 50. Owens looks like he's seen a ghost.
4:46 p.m.: Big Cass is in at 49.
4:45 p.m.: Shelton Benjamin in at 48.
4:42 p.m.: Shane McMahon in at 47.
4:41 p.m.: Kevin Owens is in at 46!
4:40 p.m.: Lashley and Strowman eliminate Khali.
4:38 p.m.: The Great Khali is in at No. 45.
4:36 p.m.: Bobby Lashley in at No. 44. Lashley eliminates Elias.
4:35 p.m.: Curt Hawkins in at No. 43. Strowman eliminates Hawkins.
4:33 p.m.: Tye Dillinger in at No. 42. Strowman eliminates Tye Dillinger. Corbin eliminates Mysterio. Orton eliminates Corbin. Elias eliminates Orton.
4:30 p.m.: Dan Matha in at No. 40. Braun Strowman in at No. 41. Strowman eliminates Dan Matha and Babagunde. And Big E. And Heath Slater.
4:28 p.m.: Titus O'Neill is in at No. 39. He just slipped and slid halfway under the ring on the way in. Oh my God. Corey Graves is in tears.
4:27 p.m.: Baron Corbin in at No. 38. Corbin eliminates Roode and Roderick Strong.
4:26 p.m.: Babatunde in at No. 37.
4:25 p.m.: Heath Slater is in at No. 36.
4:23 p.m.: Randy Orton in at No. 35. Orton eliminates Anderson, Crews and Rawley.
4:22 p.m.: Roderick Strong is in at No. 34. Very exciting. Roderick Strong eliminates Rhyno.
4:20 p.m.: Apollo Crews is in at No. 33 and, rest assured, he's very happy to be here. Chad Gable is eliminated.
4:19 p.m.: Karl Anderson is in at No. 32.
4:17 p.m.: Big E is in at No. 31. Big E eliminates Tucker Knight.
4:16 p.m.: No. 30 is Tyler Breeze. Tyler Breeze is eliminated by Mojo.
4:14 p.m.: Mojo Rawley is No. 29. Mojo eliminates Fandango.
4:13 p.m.: No. 28 is Rey Mysterio. Mysterio eliminates Luke Gallows.
4:12 p.m.: No. 27 is Chad Gable.
4:11 p.m.: Scott Dawson eliminates himself? Fandango in at No. 26.
4:09 p.m.: Bobby Roode is in at No. 25. Roode eliminates Goldust.
4:08 p.m.: Tucker Knight of Heavy Machinery is in at 24. Tucker Knight eliminates Gulak. Sad face.
4:07 p.m.: Drew Gulak is in at No. 23! Nice. If you're not watching "205 Live," you should be. I understand it's a lot of wrestling, but it's worth it.
4:06 p.m.: Rhyno in at No. 22.
4:04 p.m.: Luke Gallows in at No. 21. Elias eliminates Kurt Angle.
4:04 p.m.: Elias eliminated Konnor, Kofi and Xavier Woods.
4:02 p.m.: Elias in at No. 20. Thank God.
4:01 p.m.: Konnor of the Ascension in at No. 19.
4:00 p.m.: Goldust in at No. 18.
3:59 p.m.: Scott Dawson in at No. 17. Say yeah.
3:58 p.m.: Kurt Angle in at No. 16. Oh boy. Please don't die, Kurt. Angle eliminates Bo Dallas, Primo and Dolph.
3:56 p.m.: Bo Dallas in at No. 15.
3:53 p.m.: Xavier Woods in at No. 14. Tony Nese eliminated by Kofi and Woods.
3:52 p.m.: Primo Colon in at No. 13.
3:50 p.m.: Hornswoggle (!!!!) comes in at No. 12. Hornswoggle helps eliminate Dash Wilder. Hornswoggle is eliminated by Tony Nese.
3:49 p.m.: Dash Wilder comes in at No. 11.
3:48 p.m.: Tony Nese comes in at No. 10. The Premier Athlete!
3:47 p.m.: Kofi Kingston comes in at No. 9.
3:46 p.m.: Viktor of the Ascension at No. 8. Daniel Bryan eliminates Viktor.
3:44 p.m.: Hiroki Sumi enters at No. 7. Sumo wrestler. Henry eliminates Sumi. Ziggler and Bryan eliminate Mark Henry.
3:43 p.m.: Mike Kanellis enters at No. 6. Mike Kanellis is swiftly eliminated.
3:41 p.m.: Mark Henry (!!!!) enters at No. 5. Henry eliminates Axel.
3:40 p.m.: Curtis Axel enters at No. 4.
3:38 p.m.: Sin Cara enters at No. 3. Sin Cara is soon eliminated.
3:33 p.m.: Well, here we go. No. 1: Daniel Bryan. No. 2: Dolph Ziggler.
3:27 p.m.: Goodness gracious, when will this feud end? It's miserable. It's awful.
Brock Lesnar (c) defeats Roman Reigns to retain the WWE Universal Championship in a Cage Match
3:25 p.m. FINISH: Roman Reigns Spears Lesnar through the cage and a really disappointing, ambiguous finish means Lesnar is still champ. And around and around we go.
3:21 p.m.: Reigns delivers three Spears to Lesnar and heads for the door. Heyman intercepts Reigns with the door, and Lesnar hits another F5. This time for a 2-count.
3:17 p.m.: Well, that didn't take long. Four German suplexes and one F5 delivered already.
3:15 p.m.: And we're off. Reigns gets a warmer reception than he would on American soil.
3:07 p.m.: Just as the Undertaker is the man that will not die, this is the feud that will not die. We'll see how this goes.
The Undertaker defeats Rusev in a Casket Match
3:00 p.m. FINISH: After Rusev locks 'Taker in the accolade, some back-and-forth action ensued. Rusev eats a chokeslam and ends up in the casket, then Aiden English eats a chokeslam and a Tombstone Piledriver and ends up in the casket beside Rusev. It's a happy Rusev Day for the Undertaker.
2:56 p.m.: This match has lasted longer than Undertaker's match with Cena at WrestleMania, so there's that. Rusev was in the casket, but Aiden English saved him by distracting Undertaker. Rusev rolls out.
2:52 p.m.: And the match is underway and it's all Undertaker right now.
2:44 p.m.: I'm really curious to see what The Undertaker brings in this match. Obviously his WrestleMania appearance was short, but he wouldn't have taken this match if he wasn't feeling good, I don't think.
AJ Styles (c) and Shinsuke Nakamura draw
2:38 p.m. FINISH: AJ Styles and Nakamura fight outside the ring. AJ tackles Nakamura over the announce table, and the ref counts to 10. Styles retains. Good match, better than their WrestleMania one.
2:36 p.m.: Really good back-and-forth in this match. AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm and Nakamura hit a low blow (ref didn't see it). Nakamura relentlessly attacking Styles' nether regions is fantastic.
2:23 p.m.: I'd say, so far, this match is better than their WrestleMania match. Heel Nakamura really does wonders for him.
2:19 p.m.: I absolutely love what they did for Shinsuke Nakamura's new heel theme. Even though I don't understand a word of it.
2:11 p.m.: WWE runs a video package of its camp in Saudi Arabia for prospective superstars. Actually really, really cool. They're later interrupted by Ariya and Shawn Davari (SHAWN DAIVARI!) who put them down and talk up Iran. They put over the four Saudi superstars and get thrown out of the ring. A really cool moment.
Welcome to @WWE Greatest Royal Rumble, Nessar, Hussein, Mansoour, and Faisal after a grueling week of WWE tryouts in Jeddah! #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/cSwb5qdwiI — WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2018
Seth Rollins (c) defeats Samoa Joe, The Miz, Finn Balor, Ladder Match to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
2:02 p.m. FINISH: Finn Balor knocks Samoa Joe off the ladder and climbs. Seth Rollins springboards onto the ladder and scales it, ripping the title away from Balor at the last second. Cool finish to the match.
1:58 p.m.: Miz moving along, now. Just became MizTV in the middle of the ring.
1:56 p.m.: Samoa Joe keeps moving along.
1:52 p.m.: Rollins and Balor jockeying for position on the ladder. Back and forth they go.
1:51 p.m.: Miz and Rollins form a temporary alliance to stop Joe's momentum. Pace is slowing down now.
1:45 p.m.: This should be the match of the night.
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos for the WWE "SmackDown" Tag Team Championships
1:37 p.m. FINISH: After some Usos offense, Rowan hits a big corner splash on Jimmy Uso, and they hit the Full Nelson/Power Bomb combo for the 3-count. Disappointingly short match.
1:36 p.m.: Near fall, as Harper kicks out of an Uso Splash. Looks like the Bludgeon Brothers are gonna pull this one out.
1:33 p.m.: So far it's the Erick Rowan show, as he's dominating Jey Uso. Jimmy finally gets a tag in.
1:30 p.m.: And after some video packages and backstage segments, we're back to the action. "SmackDown" Tag Titles up next.
Intermission
1:24 p.m.: Everyone's making the list! Jericho is backstage and just put backstage reporter Mike Rome on the list. Well, that's rude.
1:19 p.m.: Well, apparently we are in an intermission right now. So, grab some water or whatever. Stay hydrated.
Jeff Hardy (c) defeats Jinder Mahal to retain the United States Championship
1:14 p.m. FINISH: Really benign finish, as Hardy hits a Twist of Fate and then a Swanton Bomb for the 3-count. Not the best.
1:13 p.m.: Big blown spot, as Hardy goes for the Whisper in the Wind and nobody is home. Then Mahal bumped. Really odd.
1:08 p.m.: Here we go. I expect Jinder to pick up the win here. He will not be hindered.
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeat The Bar to win the WWE "RAW" Tag Team Championships
1:02 p.m. FINISH: After some weird spots and sloppy pacing, Bray Wyatt nails Sheamus with a Sister Abigail. Soon after, Hardy and Wyatt team for an Elevated Twist of Fate for the 3-count. Surprising.
1:01 p.m.: Crowd is a bit out of it. Some sloppy spots and weird pacing.
12:52 p.m.: I'm such a big fan of The Bar. They are fantastic together. Sheamus really gained a lot from this team, and Cesaro is one of the best on the roster.
12:49 p.m.: Lots of "fireflies" in Jeddah as Wyatt and Hardy make their way to the ring. Still the best entrance in WWE, I feel.
Cedric Alexander (c) defeats Kalisto to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
12:46 p.m. FINISH: Kalisto attempts the Salida del Sol and Cedric Alexander counters it into a Lumbar Check for the 3-count. That was a really fun match.
12:45 p.m.: Kalisto just hit Cedric Alexander with a seated springboard Spanish Fly. Innovative, if nothing else.
12:40 p.m.: Alexander hits a massive, massive dropkick on Kalisto that snapped his head back. Brutal.
12:38 p.m.: Kalisto trying to get the crowd into "LUCHA LUCHA LUCHA" but it's not happening, not quite yet. Good back-and-forth action so far. Alexander with his swan-dive plancha, and connects.
12:34 p.m.: Next up, Cruiserweight action!
12:33 p.m.: That was a good match to start the show, a real crowd pleaser. Well, everything will be a crowd pleaser tonight.
John Cena defeats Triple H via pinfall
12:29 p.m. FINISH: Cena hits an Attitude Adjustment, slingshots Triple H into the corner, then hits another AA for the 3-count. Good match to start the show.
12:27 p.m.: Cena and Triple H trade finishers and both kick out at 2, nearly 3.
12:25 p.m.: Close, but no cigar.
12:18 p.m.: Back-and-forth tests of power so far in this match. Triple H currently controlling the bout.
12:13 p.m.: Triple H has a magnificent beard.
12:11 p.m.: It's pretty odd to hear John Cena unanimously cheered. That hasn't happened in 15 years.
12:07 p.m.: We start the show with Triple H vs. John Cena. Slightly surprising.
12:06 p.m.: We got pyro! We got pyro! That's how you know this truly is the Greatest Royal Rumble.
12:01 p.m.: We start the show with the Saudi National Anthem.
11:58 a.m.: Just minutes away from start time. Here we go…
11:48 a.m.: Paul Heyman cutting a promo on the panel.
11:30 a.m.: Jim Ross joins the panel as the area continues to fill.
11:15 a.m.: I guess the winner gets … a trophy?
PLUS: The 50-MAN Greatest Royal Rumble Match will take place! WHO will make history by winning it all? #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/rgMVs0MtlB — WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2018
11:00 a.m.: We're an hour away from the official start of the Greatest Royal Rumble. Right now, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler and Booker T. on the kickoff show. I miss Renee Young already.
10:45 a.m.: Hello, and welcome to SN's live coverage of the Greatest Royal Rumble. While you're waiting for opening bell, check out Kevin Eck's latest piece here.
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 matches, card
— 50-man Royal Rumble match
— Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns in a Cage Match for the WWE Universal Championship
— Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe in a Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
— The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a Casket Match
— Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt for the vacant "RAW" Tag Team Championship
— The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos for the "SmackDown" Tag Team Championship
— John Cena vs. Triple H
— AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship
— Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal for the WWE United States Championship
— Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Kalisto for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 predictions
— Roman Reigns finally wins the Universal Championship as fans around the world cry.
— The Miz climbs the ladder and brings the Intercontinental Championship over to "SmackDown."
— The Undertaker buries Rusev. Literally and allegorically.
— The Usos win back their tag titles.
— John Cena puts away Triple H.
— Cesaro and Sheamus win the tag titles again, as Hardy and Wyatt feud again.
— AJ Styles retains the WWE Championship.
— Jinder Mahal brings the U.S. Title over to "RAW."
— Cedric Alexander defeats Kalisto in the most fun match of the night.
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Results, April 27th 2018, Live Updates & Commentary; Controversial Finish To Lesnar Vs Reigns
WWE goes to Jeddah for a historical event in front of 60,000 fans!
Just three weeks after WrestleMania 34, WWE's biggest show of the year, the company decided to put on the so-called Greatest Royal Rumble, the first event as part of a 10-year deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And while the GRR was hyped with an absolutely stacked card along with a number of returning stars, it was ultimately a five-hour glorified house show with no title changes or major surprises.
WWE not only shoehorned the Greatest Royal Rumble in just three weeks after WrestleMania, it has another pay-per-view in Backlash scheduled just eight days from now. The company will have to do a heck of a lot of work on its television shows next week to properly build that show.
CBS Sports was with you the entire way updating this story with detailed results along with highlights from the show. The recap with grades and select highlights can be found below with a full set of highlights available at the bottom of the story.
Big fan of WWE? Subscribe to our podcast -- In This Corner with Brian Campbell -- where we go in depth on everything you need to know in WWE each week.
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble recap, grades
John Cena def. Triple H via pinfall: Regardless of whether it felt odd to see two sure-fire Hall of Famers of this level as the opening act, the Jeddah crowd provided an explosive reaction that was more akin to a WrestleMania main event. Just about everything Cena or Triple H did was greeted with loud pops. If the pyro for both wrestlers didn't make this venue feel different enough, the overall atmosphere provided by the crowd was universally positive, save for a few negative and smarky cat calls aimed at Cena.
As far as the match, it was largely booked in a house show style with tests of strength and methodical offense. Triple H mocked Cena's five-knuckle shuffle and hit him with a DeGeneration X crotch chop. Both kicked out of each other's finishing move. In the end, Cena reversed a crossface submission into an Attitude Adjustment before hitting a second one for the clean pin. Afterwards, Cena told the crowd it was an honor and privilege to be part of the event, regardless of everything going on in his personal life outside the ring. Grade: C+
Cruiserweight Championship -- Cedric Alexander (c) def. Kalisto via pinfall to retain the title: The silent crowd, coming down from the loud pops given to the more well-known Cena and Triple H, may have lost in translation just how good the match in front of them truly was. Both cruiserweights sold out with high spots and snug work. Kalisto hit a 450 off the top rope onto the floor, and Alexander countered soon after with a Tope Con Hilo. The biggest move of the match drew the smallest reaction as Kalisto hit a dangerous seated springboard Spanish Fly from the top rope. In the end, Alexander countered a Salida del Sol attempt to hit his Lumbar Check for the 1-2-3. Grade: B
Raw Tag Team Championship (vacant) -- Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt def. The Bar via pinfall to win the titles: Not much to talk about here as the two teams largely went through the motions in a basic and relatively short match. The finish came when Sheamus' attempt to set up his Brogue kick was interrupted by Wyatt's spider walk, which startled him. Sheamus then missed the kick, allowing Wyatt to his Sister Abigail. After a failed attempt to hype up the crowd, Wyatt tagged in Hardy and the duo hit their elevated Twist of Fate to put Sheamus away. Grade: C-
United States Championship -- Jeff Hardy (c) def. Jinder Mahal via pinfall to retain the title: It looks like the U.S. title will call SmackDown Live its permanent home after all. Hardy also made sure both he and big brother Matt left Saudi Arabia as champions. The match struggled to get over with the crowd and will largely be remembered for a comical botch in which Hardy badly missed a Whisper in the Wind from the top rope and Mahal still bumped for it seconds later. Even the commentary team had difficulty comprehending what happened. The finish came when Hardy packaged a Twist of Fate with a Swanton Bomb off the top rope for the 1-2-3. Grade: D+
SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- Bludgeon Brothers (c) def. The Usos via pinfall to retain the titles: Bludgeon Brothers' demolition of the SmackDown tag team division continued with another virtual squash match. Jey Uso hit a tope-rope splash on Harper for a two count early on. Outside of that, it was all heels, all the time. With Naomi absent, which pressed pause on the angle of their recent storyline, Rowan interfered to flatten Jimmy Uso outside the set up the finish. Rowan tagged himself in and was slapped in the face by Harper. After a Rowan splash in the corner, the duo hit their double power bomb finisher to defend the titles. Grade: C-
Intercontinental Championship (Ladder Match) -- Seth Rollins (c) def. The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe to retain the title: Considering the Jeddah crowd popped uncontrollably each time Cena or Triple H raised an eyebrow to open the card, it was difficult to watch the competitors in this match sacrifice their bodies to such little fanfare (outside of a distant "this is awesome" chant which formed in the upper deck of the stadium). Luckily, the finish was so electric, it produced the kind of soundtrack worthy of the effort put in.
The match featured a number of fun spots, even if it lacked the overall excitement of a normal pay-per-view ladder match of its kind. Both Miz and Balor used ladders as a foundation to hit their finishing moves on. Joe also produced the spot of the match when he snuck underneath a superplex attempt from Rollins on Balor to hit a simultaneous powerbomb. But the finish proved a nice cover for any minor sins along the way as Balor appeared to have a clear path up a ladder in the center of the ring. Suddenly, Rollins jumped off the top rope onto the other side of the ladder, ran up it and stole the title, leaving Balor (who was cut above his right eye) bewildered. Grade: B+
WWE Championship -- AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ends in a double countout: Talk about a roller coaster of emotions in a short period of time. What started as a slow-paced affair quickly heated up into an emotional and particularly stiff match, which was beginning to outshine their WrestleMania bout weeks earlier. Then came the finish and the eventual reminder that for all of the fireworks and hype for the Greatest Royal Rumble, the majority of the card has played out as nothing more than a glorified house show.
The electric build to the finish saw multiple exchanges of physical strikes in the center of the ring and Nakamura landing yet another low blow after Styles missed his forearm finisher and was distracted by nearly landing on the referee. Both countered out of each other's finishing move until the action spilled to the floor. But that's where the action stayed as the match ended in a disappointing double countout. Styles, whose anger in retaliation to the groin shot kept the action outside and forced the result, stood tall late after driving Nakamura over the barricade wall and later hitting a springboard Phenomenal Forearm onto the floor. Grade: B-
The Undertaker def. Rusev in a Casket Match: In comparison to expectations considering The Undertaker's age and the fear that Rusev would receive a burial in terms of booking, this one was surprisingly decent. Aiden English played a big role in adding to the fun by constantly interfering in this no-disqualification match, including grabbing the casket lid to prevent The Deadman from closing it on Rusev midway through. Just like in his recent brief WrestleMania match against Cena, the 53-year-old Taker looked and moved well. The finish came when Undertaker sat up in the center of the ring after Rusev asked for the casket to be opened. He went on to hit a choke slam before throwing Rusev into the casket. English interfered from behind and ate both a choke slam and a tombstone piledriver. Undertaker then threw him on top of Rusev and closed the lid for the win. Grade: C
Universal Championship (Steel Cage Match) -- Brock Lesnar (c) def. Roman Reigns via escape to retain the title: For everyone who was 99 percent sure that Lesnar wasn't leaving WrestleMania with his title, nearly the same amount prediction Reigns would finally go over in Jeddah. But credit WWE for having yet another swerve up its sleeve in terms of the creative finish. The match started as physical as one could imagine considering the steel cage and competitors involved. Lesnar hit four German suplexes and a pair of F5's before Reigns rallied for three Superman punches and a trio of spears. Neither superstar could get a three count and both failed during attempts to climb over the cage.
Reigns appeared close to leaving through the side door late only to have Paul Heyman slam it in his face. Both kicked out of each other's finisher one more time until Reigns, after beating Lesnar with a chair supplied by Heyman, speared Lesnar through the cage wall and onto the floor in a stunning climax. Not only did Lesnar bump hard, his back hitting the floor triggered a controversial victory considering two feet are what should've given someone a legal victory. Grade: B+
Braun Strowman wins 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble: At 77 minutes, this one sent a number of Royal Rumble records including longest match, most entrants, longest appearance by one person (Daniel Bryan at 76 minutes, 10 seconds) and the most eliminations (Strowman's 13). While the length of the match was certainly felt (along with the length of the five-hour card as a whole), the feeling of a grind was offset by how many memorable moments the match produced, including many influenced by spots previously seen in Royal Rumbles of the past. With many of the big names having been previously announced (from Chris Jericho and Shane McMahon to The Great Khali and Rey Mysterio Jr.), the 50-man field was short on surprising reveals. The biggest may have been Hornswoggle, who faked joining forces with Kofi Kingston (a la his partnership with Cena in 2011) only to turn on him in hilarious fashion. Mysterio, whose crowd pop rivaled only Randy Orton, ran back many of the spots he did at January's Royal Rumble in his return. The remaining surprises came in the form of NXT talent who have yet to receive a televised push, including 6-foot-10 Babatunde and 6-foot-9 Dan Matha.
If Orton produced the spot of the match when he caught a moonsaulting Apollo Crews from the second rope with an RKO, Titus O'Neil certainly provided it most memorable (and infamous) moment. After running full speed to the ring upon entry at No. 38, O'Neil tripped and fell face first in front of the ring apron with his momentum carrying him completely underneath the ring. The most impressive performance, however, came from Bryan, who entered at No. 1 and lasted until there were two superstars left, eclipsing Mysterio's 2006 record by 14 minutes for the longest single appearance. He also finished the match with huge red blotches on his chest and arm. McMahon's daredevil ways brought excitement to the finish. After hitting his coast-to-coast dropkick on Strowman, he later climbed the top rope to attempt a second. But Strowman, who was out of the ring at the time, sprinted to the apron and tossed McMahon through the announce table with one hand. Strowman was a one-man destruction crew, breaking Reigns' 2014 Rumble record by one for eliminations, which included Bobby Lashley, Jericho and Kevin Owens in succession to set up the final three.
Big Cass landed his big boot to send Bryan over the top rope. Cass, who is currently feuding with Bryan, then screamed, "Go take out my trash, little man." But Cass' attempt to land the same kick on Strowman missed, and The Monster Among Men crotched him on the top rope before tossing him to win the match. In a ceremony that included WWE chairman Vince McMahon and a dignitary from Saudi Arabia, Strowman received a green championship belt and a giant trophy. The match had many fun moments but the length and necessary endurance can't be overlooked, nor can the lack of anything tangible at stake to the winner. Like the card itself, this one was more about show (and money) than anything else. Grade: B+
Order of entry Order of elimination 1 Daniel Bryan Sin Cara (Ziggler 1) 2 Dolph Ziggler Axel (Henry 1) 3 Sin Cara Kanellis (Henry 2) 4 Curtis Axel Sumi (Henry 3) 5 Mark Henry Henry (Ziggler 2, Bryan 1) 6 Mike Kanellis Viktor (Bryan 2) 7 Hiroki Sumi Wilder (Bryan 3, Nese 1) 8 Viktor Hornswoggle (Nese 2) 9 Kofi Kingston Nese (Kingston 1, Woods 1) 10 Tony Nese Dallas (Angle 1) 11 Dash Wilder Colon (Angle 2) 12 Hornswoggle Ziggler (Angle 3) 13 Primo Colon Konner (Elias 1) 14 Xavier Woods Kingston (Elias 2) 15 Bo Dallas Woods (Elias 3) 16 Kurt Angle Angle (Elias 4) 17 Scott Dawson Gulak (Knight 1) 18 Goldust Goldust (Roode 1) 19 Konner Dawson (Roode 2) 20 Elias Gallows (Mysterio 1) 21 Luke Gallows Fandango (Rawley 1) 22 Rhyno Breeze (Rawley 2) 23 Drew Gulak Tucker (Big E 1) 24 Tucker Knight Gable (Crews 1) 25 Bobby Roode Rhyno (Strong 1) 26 Fandango Anderson (Orton 1) 27 Chad Gable Rawley (Orton 2) 28 Rey Mysterio Jr. Crews (Orton 3) 29 Mojo Rawley Roode (Corbin 1) 30 Tyler Breeze Strong (Corbin 2) 31 Big E Babatunde (Strowman 1) 32 Karl Anderson Matha (Strowman 2) 33 Apollo Crews Big E (Strowman 3) 34 Roderick Strong Slater (Strowman 4) 35 Randy Orton O'Neil (Strowman 5) 36 Heath Slater Dillinger (Strowman 6) 37 Babatunde Mysterio (Corbin 3) 38 Baron Corbin Corbin (Orton 4) 39 Titus O'Neil Orton (Elias 5) 40 Dan Matha Hawkins (Strowman 7) 41 Braun Strowman Elias (Lashley 1) 42 Tye Dillinger Khali (Strowman 8, Lashley 2) 43 Curt Hawkins Benjamin (Jericho 1) 44 Bobby Lashley McMahon (Strowman 9) 45 The Great Khali Lashley (Strowman 10) 46 Kevin Owens Jericho (Strowman 11) 47 Shane McMahon Owens (Strowman 12) 48 Shelton Benjamin Bryan (Cass 1) 49 Big Cass Cass (Strowman 13) 50 Chris Jericho Winner: Braun Strowman
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble highlights
If you are unable to view the highlights, please click here.
WWE fans were unsure whether Friday’s long-awaited Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia would be WrestleMania 34.5 or the world’s biggest house show. It was the latter.
The loaded card included seven title matches but no one lost their belts. (The only title change was Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy winning the vacant Raw Tag Team Championships.) Most notably, Roman Reigns lost the Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar on a technicality.
The 50-man Royal Rumble match was the highlight of the show and featured a handful of fun surprise entrants, such as Hornswoggle.
Below you will find a full list of results, followed by highlights as they appeared in our live blog.
• What is the Greatest Royal Rumble, Why Is it in Saudi Arabia and Everything Else You Need to Know
Full match card with results (winners in bold)
• John Cena vs. Triple H
• Cruiserweight Championship — Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Kalisto
• Raw Tag Team Championship — Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
• United States Championship — Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
• SmackDown Tag Team Championship — The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos
• Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
• WWE Championship — AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (double count-out, Styles retains)
• Casket match — The Undertaker vs. Rusev
• Steel cage match for Universal Championship — Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
• 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble — Winner: Braun Strowman
Triple H vs. John Cena
We’re underway in Saudi Arabia with Triple H and John Cena getting things started.
The festivities are underway as The 👑 of 👑👑👑 @TripleH makes his way to the ring in Jeddah! #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/xbwDs9LP8p — WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2018
Cena wins in a sub-par match that featured a couple of botches but the crowd was totally into it and sounds like it’ll be hot all night.
Triple H was able to kick out of Cena’s first AA but Cena pinned him with the second to keep the crowd happy to start the show.
Cruiserweight Championship — Cedric Alexander vs. Kalisto
The high fliers are up next on this packed card, facing off for the Cruiserweight title.
So much for the crowd staying hot. It sounds like the Saudi fans are just as disinterested in the cruiserweights as Americans are. From a technical perspective, this match was stronger than HHH-Cena. The crowd just didn’t connect with these two.
In the end, Alexander retains the belt.
Raw Tag Team Championship — Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
Well, we already know which way this one is going. Sheamus and Cesaro were sent to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup so I don’t think they’re winning the Raw belts.
Wyatt and Hardy showed again that they’re great together as a tag team, and the Saudi crowd was very much into the “Woken” gimmick.
Surprise, surprise. Wyatt and Hardy win. They’re your new Raw tag champs.
New Raw Tag Team champs!
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt have claimed the belts at #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/tzsmUAYk7e — Bleacher Report WWE (@BR_WWE) April 27, 2018
United States Championship — Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal
Matt’s brother Jeff is up next, defending his U.S. title against Jinder Mahal.
Jeff Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb on Jinder and is still your champion. We still haven’t had a belt change hands tonight.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship — The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos
After a brief break for the evening prayer, the show is rolling again with this title bout.
Well, that was fast. The Bludgeon Brothers win a squash match in just a matter of minutes to retain their belts.
Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship — Seth Rollins vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe
Finn Balor’s entrance was probably the best of this match, but it’s awesome to see Samoa Joe back on the PPV stage.
All four wrestlers had their moments in this match, whether it was Joe doing damage with the ladders and with his brawn or The Miz turning the tables.
In the end, it was Rollins snatching the belt from Balor’s fingertips to retain the championship.
Balor got busted open when the belt hit him in the face and shared a photo of the aftermath.
WWE tryout winners vs. the Daivari brothers
WWE introduces the winners of its Saudi tryout pic.twitter.com/5YnHsC6avO — SI Wrestling (@SI_wrestling) April 27, 2018
You will never, ever get more heel than by stoking the fires of religious sectarianism. The Daivari brothers got easily the loudest reaction of anyone when they came out to talk smack to WWE’s new Saudi signings.
Holy crap, bringing out two Iranis waving their flag in Saudi Arabia is the biggest heel move of all time pic.twitter.com/LxLKtI0u0O — SI Wrestling (@SI_wrestling) April 27, 2018
WWE Championship — AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
It’s time for the rematch of the dream match. We’re getting into the meat of the card now.
Nakamura is such a more compelling performer now that he’s working heel. It’s just the refresh he needed.
There will be no winner, though. Styles retains the belt by virtue of a double count-out.
Casket match — The Undertaker vs. Rusev
It’s time for the legend to enter the ring and the crowd is amped up. Rusev is already expecting to Taker’s next victim and spends the first moments of the match avoiding him.
Taker not only buried Rusev, but his buddy Aiden English as well and earned his 101st PPV victory.
Steel cage match for Universal Championship — Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Everyone thought Roman Reigns was finally going over and winning the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar. Nope.
Reigns was dominating the match but lost when he speared Lesnar through the side of the cage. Lesnar hit the ground first, meaning he was declared the winner.
BROCK LESNAR WINS.... thanks to Roman Reigns spearing him through cage!!!
Lesnar hit the ground first! #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/W0MT4L87yT — WWE Critics (@WWECritics) April 27, 2018
Will he ever get over?
50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match
Here we go, the namesake main event. This one is going to take a while.
WWE already announced about half of the field, so I’ll just drop in the surprise entrants.
Hiroki Sumi doesn’t even bring up any Google results!
It’s not a PPV unless Shane McMahon goes through a table.
All FIFTY men have entered, and now it's time to find out who will survive the Greatest Royal Rumble Match LIVE on @WWENetwork...
(It won't be @shanemcmahon) #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/81Aql75rUq — WWE Network (@WWENetwork) April 27, 2018
Braun Strowman is your winner, after he eliminated Daniel Bryan and Big Cass to be the last man standing.
But the must-see moment of the match was Titus O’Neil tripping on his way to the ring and finding himself under the ring.
